Matthew 25:1-13

THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS. Closely joined to the preceding one. Its leading idea is the readiness of the Church for the coming of the Lord. See the closing exhortation (Matthew 25:13). The last parable applies mainly to rulers, this to the whole Church. Interpreters differ as to the exact time referred to in this and the following parable. Both distinctly point to the coming of Christ, and not to the destruction of Jerusalem ; but is that coming immediately followed by the judgment described in Matthew 25:31-46? Some hold that a thousand years will intervene, during which Christ will personally reign on the earth. This is the ‘pre-millenial' view. The other view is that the Second Advent will immediately precede the judgment. The numerous intimations that the coming of Christ will be preceded by apostasy and catastrophes, when joined with a literal interpretation of the prophecy about the ‘thousand years' in Revelation 20:4-7, oppose the view that this period will precede the ‘coming' spoken of in the last chapter, and alluded to in this parable. The passage in Revelation cannot be discussed here. The ‘pre-millenial' interpretation of this parable involves a number of difficulties. At the same time, the main point, respecting the position of the Advent of Christ, is more and more accepted. Certainty here is impossible, perhaps undesirable. All calculations or definite explanations about the time and order of these last things, are discouraged by the whole scope of this discourse. The parable is peculiar to Matthew; in Luke 12:36, the sudden return of the Lord to His servants (chap. Matthew 24:46-51), is spoken of as a return ‘from the wedding;' here it is followed by the same thought expanded into a parable.